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Brooklyn’s Undefeated Pryce Taylor
Crowned New NABF Heavyweight Champion
Brooklyn’s undefeated Pryce Taylor (14-0, 9 KOs) captured
his first title in professional boxing last Saturday night
in Albuquerque, when he took a hard fought ten-round split
decision over 2020 Ukraine Olympian Tsotne “Mr. T” Rogava
(13-2, 8 KOs) to capture the vacant North American Boxing
Federation (NABF) Heavyweight Championship.
The judges’ scores were 96-94, 96-94 and 93-97 in this
tightly contested match. Taylor, who weighed 13-pounds less
than his previous fight, wasn’t sure if he had won when he
listened to the scores being announced.
“There’s a reason you never want to leave it in the hands of
the judges,” he said. “I was concerned when I heard the wide
97-93 score for him (Rogava). My corner kept saying I needed
a knockout to win. So, I applied heavy pressure in the final
rounds.
“I feel I won the fight because of the pressure I applied in
those last two rounds. I wobbled him and almost had him out,
but I kept the pressure on right to the end.”
The NABF title should elevate Taylor in the World Boxing
Council ratings. Taylor was No. 28 in the WBC’s world
ratings going into the fight with Rogava.
“Pryce continues to prove why we believe he is the future of
American heavyweight boxing,” Taylor’s manager Keith
Sullivan noted. “Winning this junior title is another
important milestone in what we expect to be a very special
career. Pryce has embraced our philosophy of staying active,
staying ready, and taking on every challenge put in front of
him. This is another step up the ladder, and I firmly
believe the best is yet to come.”
Taylor is taking off this week ,but he will be back at the
Cops and Kids Boys and Girls Gym in Brooklyn next week to
continue his training.
“I’ll be back in the gym next week,” he promised. “I need to
work on my speed and keep dropping weight. I went from 284
to 271 for this fight. I should be back fighting in the
first-quarter of 2027, defending my NABF title belt for the
first time.”
The 30-year-old Taylor joined past NABF heavyweight
champions such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Ken Norton,
Ray Mercer, and Wladimir Klitschko.
“The Pryce is Right” is now a title holder.
A former New York State Athletic Commission Deputy
Commissioner, Sullivan also manages undefeated 3-time,
2-division World Champion Miyo Yoshida (19-6, 1 KO),
Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga (21-2, 21 KOs), Serbian
heavyweight Sanel Hasanovic (11-1-1, 9 KOs), undefeated
Staten Island light heavyweight prospect Artan Iseni (6-0, 5
KOs), Bronx NYPD officer Nisa Rodriguez (4-1, 2
KOs),lightweight Fei Faiva (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and junior
featherweight prospect Brooklyn “The Big Deal” Barwick (5-1,
5 KOs). Sullivan also co-manages IBF Welterweight World
title challenger Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (16-2, 12
KOs) and his cousin, middleweight Jim Donovan (2-0, 1 KO),
alongside coach and ex-world champion Andy Lee.
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